Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-08-24
bed, and Berthe tenderfy kissed the sick

bed, and Berthe tenderiy kissed the sick
woman from time to time, while Georges,
standing at the foot Of the bed, watched
her all the while without ever moving his
eyes from her face.
Next day she was worse.
Finally, toward evening, she declared
she felt better, and constrained her friends
to 20 down stairs to dinner.
They were sitting In their own apart
ments, sadly, feeling no inclination TO eat
anything, when tho housekeeper came In
and handed Georges q note. He opened
1t, turned livid, and, rising, said to his
wife In q strange manner: swat for me
q moment, l must 60 out; ! will he back
In ten minutes. Above all things, don't
60 awayr
And he ran to his room TO get his hat.
Berthe waited for him, tortured by Q
nsw anxiety. But, obedient In all things,
she did not think of returning to her
friends room before Georges should re-
turn.
As he did not come back, IL occurred to
her to go to his room and see II he had
taken his gloves, which would be u sure
sign that he had gone out 10 make a visit.
But the gloves were there; abe saw them
at the very first glance. Beside them lay
q piece Of crumpled paper. She recog-
nized that also. II wa the note which
had Just been given to Georges.
And a burning temptation-the very
first she had ever felt In her whole life
came upon her to read, TO find out. Her
conscience, revolving, struggled against It;
but the gnawing Of q painful and terribly
excited curiosity urged her on. She took
the paper, opened II, and recognized jules
handwriting, a trembling scrawl written
In pencil. She read: "Come by yourself
and kiss me, my poor friend; ] am going
to die"
At first she did not understand and
stood there stupefied, being especially
shocked by the idea Of death. Then, sud-
denly, the familiar tone of the letter
caught her attention, and as in one great
lightning fash, Illuminating her whole
life, she saw all the infamous truth, all
their treason, all their perfldy. She I'm
derstood their long deceit, their looks,
their silent mockery Of her good faith,
their betrayal of her confidence. She
saw them again, each In front Of the other
at evenings, under the shade of her W
lamp, reading the same book, consulting
each other with their eyes at the end Of
each page.
And her heart, swollen with indigna-
ton, bruised with suffering, sank In q
hmitless despair.
Footsteps approached; she fed and
locked herself up in her own room.
A little while after her husband called
her:
"Come quickl Nine. Rosset is dying"
Berthe appeared at her door, and said,
with white and trembling lips:
go back alone TO herl-she has no
need Of mel"
He stared at her wildly, half crazed by
grief, and repeated:
''Quick! quickl-she is dying"
Berthe replied:
"You would be better pleased il it were
me-"
Then, perhaps, he understood, and went
back alone to the chamber of the dying
woman.
He wept for her without assimilation,
without shame-indifferent to the grief Of
his wife, who no longer spoke to him or
looked h' him, and lived alone with her
disgust for him In dumb anger-praying
morning and night to God.
Nevertheless they still lived together,
ate together at the same table-in silence
and despair.
Gradually his grief Gained down, but
she did not forgive him.
And SO life went on-terribly unhappy
for both of them.
For one year they remained as COM
pletely strangers to each other as IL they
had never met. Berthe almost went mad.
Then one morning she left the house at
dawn, and returned about s o'clock, car
Of roses-white roses-all white.
And she sent word to her husband that
she desired TO speak TO him.
He came, feeling anxious, uneasy.
She said to him:
eve are going out together. Please
carry these flowers; they are too heavy
for me-"
He took the bouquet and followed his
wife.
A carriage was waiting for them; 10
started Immediately they had taken their
seats.
! She stopped at the gate of the Gene
terry. Then Berthe, whose eyes filled
with tears, said TO Georges: take me TO
her tomb" He trembled without know
ing why, and walked On before her, still
carrying the flowers in his arms. Finally
he stopped before a white marble and des-
ignated il without saying anything.
Then she took the great bouquet from
him, and, kneeling down, laid II at the
foot Of the grave. Then she prayed for a
little while-prayed suppliantly and ST.
lently!
Standing behind her, her husband,
haunted by memories, was weeping.
She rose up, and held out her hands to
him.
IF you wish,n she said, I'VE will be
friends. Translated for Tines Demo
crat from the French OF Guy de Maupas-
saUf